Predictions: Vazquez vs. Marquez III, "The Tiebreaker"

Uatu says:

After watching the first two Vazquez Marquez fights again today, it is tough to know what to think. Uatu thinks Marquez is the better fighter, but even if that is true, it is not by a large margin. Marquez appears to have the hand speed advantage, but it is not an overwhelming one.

Can Marquez win by controlling the action with a jab and right and maintaining distance and not making the fight a war?

Would Marquez elect to go that route if he could?

Can Vazquez fight through the incoming fire of Marquez and physically wear down Marquez, a fighter who has been stopped before on more than one occasion?

Either way, there is going to be a lot of drama and suspense headed into the fight. The first two fights were as good as it gets. They were right up there with the Barrera-Morales fights and the Corrales-Castillo fights. They were a combination of high skill level, excellent conditioning, heart and guts.

A pick still has to be made. It's Marquez.

The Franchise says:

Boxing fans should be absolutely ecstatic these guys are meeting for the third time. I think the fight's tagline - The Tiebreaker - is absolutely fitting because these are two fighters who are unusually evenly matched.

Both men have hand speed and power in both hands. Both can take a punch and rally back after getting hurt. And while they both have excellent technique, neither is a defensive wizard, leading to lots of landed punches during their first two meetings.

There are differences, too. Marquez seems to have more options at his disposal on the outside and is a bit sharper with his combinations. Vazquez has a slight edge in raw power and has the edge when the fight is in close.

I almost hate to make a pick because this fight could play out any number of ways. Either man could hit the canvas, and it would not be surprising in the least if they both end up on the mat. It should be a fitting end to the trilogy, and though my head agrees with Uatu that Marquez us the better overall boxer by the slimmest of margins, my heart says Vazquez has the best chance of connecting with the one bomb that changes the fight. I'm going with Vazquez by KO.